Authority Quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt
“To bring about government by oligarchy, masquerading as democracy, it is fundamentally essential that practically all authority and control be centralized in our Federal government. . . The individual sovereignty of our states must first be destroyed.”
About This Quote
A true democracy requires centralizing power at the federal level, which inevitably erodes state sovereignty.
In simple terms: Centralizing power undermines state independence.
Beware of power concentration.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- constitutional law
- political activism
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What checks can protect state autonomy?
- How does centralization affect citizen representation?
The claim oversimplifies complex federal‑state dynamics.